Scope and Content Note

The material consists of four series: ADVERTISING, CORRESPONDENCE, FINANCIAL RECORDS, and MISCELLANY. All except the ADVERTISING are arranged chronologically and all contain undated materials.

The ADVERTISING series, 1907-1946, contains advertising materials from manufacturers and suppliers, including both retail advertising materials and wholesale advertising which solicited Falk's business for products and services. The series includes catalogs and brochures, some product samples, demonstration merchandise layouts and displays, posters and banners, form letters, many advertisements for local newspaper use, and blank order forms (those actually used for orders are in the FINANCIAL RECORDS series). Especially prominent, since Falk was a Rexall outlet and Victor Records agent, are materials from Rexall/United Drug Company and Victor Records. It is not clear whether Falk actually stocked all of the items promoted to him, but the advertisements themselves comprise a useful research file, because of the variety of items advertised and the long time span of the records, and the information on the art of advertising methods.

The series is divided alphabetically into the following categories, each of which is arranged chronologically:

• Cosmetics and sundries
• Drugs, miscellaneous
• Music--phonographs and records, radios, sheet music, musical instruments
• Other--paint and hardware, athletic goods and games, pens and pencils, photographic film and processing, clothing, luggage, pet supplies, rubber products, electrical appliances, household products, livestock remedies, seeds, miscellany
• Publications and paper goods--magazines, newspapers, books; stationery, postcards, greeting cards, decorations, and paper goods
• Rexall/United Drug Company--general drugs and sundries, contests, conventions, Falk & Son advertising flyers; Rexall Magazine (a free magazine for customers)
• Tobacco products, liquor and other beverages, candy and confections, other food

The CORRESPONDENCE series, 1906-1946, consists almost entirely of incoming correspondence from manufacturers, distributors, publishers, and customers concerning orders placed by Falk. Also included are materials from the state and federal government concerning pharmaceutical and liquor-related matters.

The FINANCIAL series, 1904-1945, consists of miscellaneous orders, invoices, and some contracts. The material is a very incomplete record of transactions, but gives some indication of the items actually sold in the store. There are no financial ledgers or summaries.

MISCELLANY, 1911-1946, consists mainly of correspondence to Elmer Falk relating to personal, investing, insurance and miscellaneous financial matters. Also included are mailings and other materials from the University of Wisconsin's Alumni Association, School of Pharmacy, and Athletic Department (Elmer was Class of 1903); Kappa Sigma fraternity; the Wisconsin Pharmaceutical Association; Stoughton school district; the Madison Club; and various other local pharmaceutical, civic and fraternal organizations. This series also contains several undated samples of decorative fabrics and foil for business interior and window trimming.

Photographs of Elmer Falk and the Falk drug store taken by John Newhouse in 1948 for a Wisconsin State Journal article, and a photograph of Ole N. Falk and his brothers (donated by Dr. Victor N. Falk), are located in the Visual and Sound Archives Name File.